A Perfect Gentleman

By Barbara Metzger

Book Overview

When a ruined viscount becomes London's most sought-after escort and a banking heiress hires him to find her missing sister, desire turns deadly. A sensual, character-driven Regency that marries social commentary with suspense and emotional depth.

When financial ruin forces a viscount into London's most scandalous profession, only a wealthy heiress can save him--but at what cost?

Aubrey, Viscount Wellstone, has lost everything except his title and his charm. Facing crushing debts and a crumbling estate, he accepts the unthinkable: becoming a paid escort for London's overlooked ladies. Enter Ellianne Kane, a sharp-tongued banking heiress whose missing sister has vanished into the city's shadows. She needs Aubrey's aristocratic connections to navigate high society's treacherous waters, but their partnership ignites desires neither expected.

This Regency romance blends mystery, wit, and sizzling tension as two unlikely allies discover that survival sometimes requires breaking every rule.

As bodies pile up in London's streets and Ellianne's search grows desperate, she and Aubrey must choose between protecting their reputations and following their hearts. But when a killer sets his sights on Ellianne herself, will Aubrey's love be enough to save her? Or will their forbidden attraction destroy them both before they can uncover the truth?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592116485
• ISBN13: 9781592116485
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Histria Romance
• Length: 356 Pages

Customer Reviews

book

babara metzger rocks and so does the company i bought the book from.tey delivered in a very timely manner and the book was in great condition

Despite a few flaws...

...such as the too easy ending for the missing sister, not enough urgency regarding said sister, and a mildly written and easy to figure out but creepy murder mystery...Metzger creates a delightful hero in Stony, a strong, independent heroine, and some truly wonderful and unique secondary characters. Moreover, her wit just sparkles, causing me to laugh out loud more often than I could possibly keep up with. While I have found Metzger's short stories to be hit or miss, this book made me a believer, and I'll try another of her full-length works soon. This one was delightful!

A Fun Read

This is a very witty and thoroughly enjoyable novel, with some highly interesting characters, even if the premise of escort-for-hire is a little offbeat for Regency England. The plot is clever and the author neatly resolves all of the issues, though the missing sister matter ended a little abruptly. Definitely recommended.

A Totally Charming Regency - Superbly Zany Characters 4-1/2*

Brought up as a gentleman, with no marketable skills - not that a `gentleman' would actually `work' for a living - left the Viscount Aubrey "Stony" Wellstone just about at the end of his rope. He was a confirmed bachelor, with too much honor to do as other impoverished peers would do and set out to marry an heiress with a healthy dowry to bail him out of debt. As luck would have it, with his good looks, immeasurable charm, and spotless character with the ton, it occurred to one beleaguered gentleman to write off one of his IOU's if Stony would provide escort and attention to said gentleman's daughter to one of the many tedious balls and social functions that fathers with marriageable age daughters were duty bound to attend. Before he knew it, Stony's services as an eligible and willing escort was born and little by little his debts were being paid. So busy with such a full schedule Stony had enlisted the help of two friends, one of which, purely by accident, ended up compromising the young woman. From the hullabaloo that followed, the `ton' discovered that Stony was being `paid' for these services and suddenly found himself shunned by the people who once sought him out. It was about this time the very independent Ellianne Kane was to enter his life. An heiress in her own right she was not looking for a husband, but needed Stony's knowledge of proper society to discover who might have last seen her sister who had gone missing. Ellianne initially didn't want to hire the handsome Viscount, having no use for the idle life of a gentleman and fearing that they were only attracted to her money. Stony, who had always thought himself immune to the lovely misses he squired about town, soon found himself immensely attracted to the very unique and independent would be spinster and would indeed have his work cut out in proving to her that there was more to life than money. This book was so totally charming. Stony was not only a perfect gentleman, but a perfectly wonderful hero. The secondary characters of Ellianne's eccentric household with her Aunt Lally, her butler Timms, and Ajax, the toothless bulldog as she tried to keep Stony ignorant of the origin of the `bawdy' comments that emanated from behind closed doors was an absolute hoot! The entire book was a total enjoyment with so many humorous situations and a touching love story that I truly wanted to give it a perfect rating but the thought the lame excuse for the missing sister was too fast a wrap up and not quite believable. Bottom line - I truly did love this book with the snappy prose and wonderfully funny characters, including the hero and heroine. So my little nit-picking aside - read this book and you won't be sorry in the least! --- Marilyn Rondeau, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

invigorating Regency romance

Viscount Aubrey "Stony" Wellstone is broke with creditors breathing down his neck demanding reparations. He tries gambling, but that just increases his astronomical debts. He sees no relief until a friend Lord Parkhurst who he owes money to mentions escort duty he does not want to perform. Stony and Parkhurst agree to erase his gambling debts if he provides proper escort to a young debutante. Aubrey agrees and realizes he has a way to earn money without getting married or dirtying himself in trade. He will become an aristocratic escort. Independent and feisty Ellianne Kane arrives in London seeking her missing sister. She prefers to ignore the Ton especially losers like handsome Stony, but needs the services of a professional escort if she is to make progress on her quest because she must be able to enter the homes of the elite. To his shock, Stony falls in love with his client, but how to persuade Ellianne that he wants her not her money when he knows to her he is a lowly paid escort. A PERFECT GENTLEMAN is an invigorating Regency romance that turns the aristocracy upside down through Ellianne's disdain of the upper crust especially the cash strapped Stony. The story line is very humorous as Ellianne keeps boxing Stony's ears with fabulous set downs, but he keeps coming back for more blows and not because the fee is good. Ellianne is a wonderful feisty heroine, who pretends indifference to Stony insisting her heart is made of stone when it comes to the likes of him, but knows deep down that she him like he does her. Fans will value this amusing historical tale. Harriet Klausner